Mick Jagger’s audience management tips transfer directly to the business presentation arena

I have been catching up on some musical memories and in the process discovering Mick Jagger’s tips on audience management, which chime very nicely with the advice I give to business presenters.

To my great delight my son Louis has turned into an even greater Rolling Stones fan than myself, so for his recent birthday I gave him the latest box set of DVDs, amongst which was the Brixton Academy gig that I was lucky enough to attend in 1996. Aged just two at the time, Louis had been young too attend.

Also included was some great documentary material, with Jagger’s explanation on audience management including the following:

“I see it as one big animal and I focus on individuals too to ensure I’m getting close contact. I also do groups because you can spot little gangs and treat them like that. I don’t like seeing friends and family because you can’t be so daft….”

Let’s break that down into separate components:

I see it as one big animal

I say that you have to be sure to address everyone in the room in a business presentation, probably making a special effort to acknowledge those at the back and to your extreme left and right. I urge presenters to spread their eye contact far and wide because it is so easy for audience members to feel left out. If there is no audience available in a practice session and the speaker is struggling to imagine the situation for real, I get out my set of celebrity masks and fix them to the backs of chairs. Then the feedback tends to be along the lines of “much better, but Prince Philip and Sir Alex are still feeling rather excluded”!

and I focus on individuals too

I recommend holding eye contact with individuals for just a fraction longer than seems natural so as to ensure you are establishing close contact. Juan Tamariz, the Spanish hero of magicians worldwide, goes so far as to advise checking out people’s eye colours – again, to ensure you are establishing close contact.

I also do groups

I say you need to establish clearly up front whether you are happy and able to take questions as you go. Nevertheless, you should always seize on any opportunity for direct engagement with audience members, especially in groups.  You can empathise with them and bounce off their energy. Played right, the rest of the audience will feed off and add to that energy and the group members will feel special, be the first to applaud and they will talk about you afterwards.

I don’t like seeing friends and family

The challenge with Presentation Skills training and rehearsals is that you are usually performing in front of colleagues. People expect this to be a safe option and are a little baffled when they struggle. I explain that it is generally more difficult presenting to people you know because there is often some sort of ‘agenda’ between yourself and individuals in front of you. You will be coming to a particular passage and thinking something like ‘I know Sarah/whoever doesn’t like this idea’ so you will steer your eye contact in another direction and hold back a little in your delivery. It is much easier when you have a ‘blank canvas’ in front of you and can proceed unfettered.

Even, it would appear, if you happen to happen to be the front man of the world’s greatest rock ‘n roll band, with more than half a century’s experience under your belt!

Totally Stripped, the latest box set from the Rolling Stones can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/jechpd7

A lesson for business presenters from TV presenters, young and old

Most business people give a presentation on just an occasional basis, which is one of the reasons it can feel like an ordeal every time it happens. So what can we learn from people who are presenting day in, day out - Television personalities? I have come across a couple of tips from TV people from very different generations and they both revolve around preparation.

Jason Manford is a comedian, TV presenter, radio presenter and actor.  He’s probably most familiar, however, from his regular appearances on TV panel shows. How has he achieved such a broad-ranging career at the age of just 35 and why is he in such great demand?

 

l to r: Alan Davies, Sandi Toksvig, Stephen Fry, Jeremy Clarkson, Jason Manford

A big clue to his success can be drawn from this insight. “I prepare for everything”, he says, “even panel shows. I probably won’t use a lot of what I have prepared, but knowing you are so well prepared gives you great confidence.”  So, contrary to rumours, he is not given all the questions in advance, but does know broadly what topics are going to be covered. Based on that knowledge, he researches and writes little snippets and jokes that will suit the style of the show.

That kind of commitment and attention to detail is more readily associated with a different era of television – such as that of Cliff Michelmore, who was 96 when he died earlier this year. In the 1950s and 60s he became one of the best-known presenters on British television. He was appearing in as many as 300 programmes a year and presided over election coverage and moments of live drama such as the assassination of President Kennedy and the return of the damaged Apollo 13.

Michelmore’s hallmark was that he always appeared confident, calm, unhurried and unflappable. We could all do a bit of that, so what was his secret? Michael Parkinson got an insight when, prior to becoming a famous chat show host, he worked with Michelmore on the BBC current affairs show 24 Hours.  Noticing that his preparation methods used to involve a mere skimming of the research, but many notes in the margins of the running order, Parkinson asked Michelmore what he was writing. “I’m looking at the running order to spot where there might be a breakdown, and when I find it I write in my ad libs,” he replied.

Like, Jason Manford, he hopefully didn’t need to use much of what he had prepared but forewarned is forearmed and the result is unflappability.